Title/Author: This Is How I Liked by Heather Gudenkauf Publisher: Harlequin – Park Row Pages: 336 Publication Date: May 12, 2020 In a nutshell: …
Twisty, thrilling & exhilarating! Jee reviews a fantastic page-turner ‘This Is How I Lied’ by Heather Gudenkauf (with an #excerpt) #SPOILERFREE !! #…
The facility lay deep in Appalachian Mountains, a secret laboratory called Coldbrook. Its scientists had achieved the impossible: a gateway to a new world. Theirs was to be the greatest discovery in the history of mankind, but they had no idea what they were unleashing. With their breakthrough comes disease. Billions are dead yet still walking. The only hope is a cure, and the only cure is genetic immunity. In the chaos of destruction there is one person that can save the human race. But will they find her in time?
I love zombie novels and I’m always looking to expand. Coldbrook was something that I accidentally found on Amazon and I’m excited to read it.
One exceptional boy journeys into the ashes of society to find the cure for a devastating plague in this riveting post-apocalyptic standalone set in the same world as the USA Today-bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts.
Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.
The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.
To where the monsters lived.
After reading The Girl With All The Gifts, I had to get the prequel. This book sounds so interesting and I’m excited to enter that universe one more time.
J is a student at a school deep in a forest far away from the rest of the world.
J is one of only twenty-six students, all of whom think of the school’s enigmatic founder as their father. J’s peers are the only family he has ever had. The students are being trained to be prodigies of art, science, and athletics, and their life at the school is all they know—and all they are allowed to know.
But J suspects that there is something out there, beyond the pines, that the founder does not want him to see, and he’s beginning to ask questions. What is the real purpose of this place? Why can the students never leave? And what secrets is their father hiding from them?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, in a school very much like J’s, a girl named K is asking the same questions. J has never seen a girl, and K has never seen a boy. As K and J work to investigate the secrets of their two strange schools, they come to discover something even more mysterious: each other.
This book has been on my book wishlist on Amazon for a long time now. I actually got this book for free thanks to a credit on Amazon, because I choose no-rush shipping all the time 😅 But it sounds kind of like Maze Runner to me and I thought it might be a good read.
Thrust into leadership upon the death of his emperor father, young Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. Though his royal blood controls the power of the sun, he’s now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. And despite all Ahkin’s efforts, the sun is fading — and the end of the world may be at hand.
For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor’s death may mean that she is next. Prince Ahkin must be married before he can ascend the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him as a possible wife. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed to the gods.
Only one girl can become Ahkin’s bride. Mayana and Ahkin feel an immediate connection, but the gods themselves may be against them. Both recognize that the ancient rites of blood that keep the gods appeased may be harming the Chicome more than they help. As a bloodred comet and the fading sun bring a growing sense of dread, only two young people may hope to change their world.
Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.
I actually picked this up because Lani Forbes was offering it for a dollar yesterday, she posted on Twitter and I thought, why not? So hopefully it’s as good as it sounds.
Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared…
In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.
Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he’s forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.
But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.
An action-packed and thought-provoking debut, for fans of Patrick Ness, Marcus Sedgwick, DREAD NATION and The Walking Dead.
A long time ago I saw Wranglestone recommended somewhere and I’ve been watching it ever since. This was actually my first Book Depository purchase, so we will see how it goes.
All of these book descriptions are from Amazon, except Wranglestone which is from Goodreads.
Do any of these sound interesting to you? Have you read any? Let me know in the comments.
The greatest sci-fi saga comes to an end, again. The Rise of Skywalker may not be the pinnacle of Star Wars movies but it is damn good in my eyes.
When it’s discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order’s plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren.
I’m going to start by saying that each scene is gorgeous. The lighting was perfect, there is a lot of lightning in this movie and to me it felt very symbolic to the plot. Seeing the flashes of lightning across Rey and Kylo Ren’s faces was beautifully dramatic and fitting of the characters’ internal struggle.
There is a lot of hurt going on in this movie as storylines come to an end and characters develop to their full potential. Most noticeably was C-3PO. In the beginning of the movie he is dramatically more annoying than I remember him being in the previous movies, he was like really bad comic relief *cough* Jar Jar Binks. But, he makes a sacrifice that redeems his irritating qualities. The same goes for both of the main characters, Rey and Kylo. They both go down their own paths and end up somewhere entirely different with good and bad happening to them.
What I love most about the Star Wars series is that while it’s not always perfectly happy, it typically has a light-hearted ending, with exceptions *I’m looking at you prequels*. With this movie they could have easily killed off characters that meant something to the fanbase to create a more dramatic ending but they didn’t. To me, it felt like there was just enough loss to create an impactful yet still light-hearted feeling.
Obviously, I waited a long time to see this movie, that’s because I kept hearing horrible things about it. I heard that it pulled out a Deus Ex at the end, that it was nothing like “real” Star Wars, and that it didn’t end well. But, I have no problem coming out and saying that’s bullshit, this movie was awesome and I think it did the original three justice. Is it as good as the originals? No. Is it good for the Star Wars universe? Yes.
My major complaint about this movie is that it feels like they made Finn helpless. He’s so stuck up his own butt, because he’s in love with Rey that he acts like an idiot. I feel like characters like Finn and Poe would not act as silly as they made Finn. It’s like Finn suddenly forgot that Rey is a lightsaber toting badass, and viewed her as a damsel in distress, even though Finn was more of a damsel than her. I understand wanting to help the person you love, but someone saving all of existence should know that he won’t be able to do anything against a mega powerful Sith with a blaster. They played him up to be a badass when he picks up the lightsaber in The Force Awakens, which you can view here, but then he just isn’t in this movie.
All in all, this movie was a fun Star Wars installment. It’s not the originals, but it’s good regardless. I highly recommend it.
Have you seen this movie? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful and amazing mamas out there. I hope you have a wonderful day and that you are cherished and spoiled as much as you want to be. Don’t ever forget that you’re gorgeous and strong, you can do whatever life throws at you.
Here’s a cute pic of my son to brighten you’re day
Complete Darkness is what I would imagine you would get if you mixed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the video game Doom. It’s a hyper-violent thrill ride with satanic undertones.
For centuries many have pondered the prospect of an afterlife and feared what came to be known as ‘hell’.
In the near future, we map the elusive ‘dark matter’ around us, only to find out that it is hell itself, and it is very real…
As the satanic President Razour attempts to bring forward Armageddon to prevent humanity repenting, the fate of us all rests in the hands of Cleric20, a hedonistic loner with a chequered past, and his robot sidekick, GiX.
An action-packed literary shock to the senses that mixes flights of comic fantasy with bouts of brutal violence. Mankind’s only hope seems to be having a very bad day.
Can Cleric20 halt Razour’s devilish plans after an experimental bioweapon deployed to kill him accidentally gives him superpowers?
Has the Devil inadvertently created a hero who could actually stop him?
What I like about Complete Darkness is that it feels almost like a comic book when you read it, like you’ve been transported to Sin City. Each character is unique and they all have fighting spirits. I mention it being like a comic book, because it is hyper-violent, hyper-sexual, and fast paced, it honestly could be an issue of Saga.
The main character isn’t an all-together likable guy, but he has redeemable qualities. His past is tragic and he does his best to do what is right. To me, he is just the guy who stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time. He becomes an accidental hero, but he doesn’t even hesitate to use his powers for good. He becomes a type of anti-hero, because he drinks heavily, sleeps with random women off the street, and gets into brawls, but he doesn’t hesitate to be the good guy when the time comes. I liked that about him.
I also like the cyber-noir world that Adcock creates. If you’ve ever seen a dark sci-fi movie then you can just imagine the city this takes place in. There is danger around every corner, tech you can only imagine, and a vast mixture of robots/androids walking around. I keep using examples of other works, but I can also see a little of The Fifth Element in this book, at least when it comes to how I envisioned the city. It honestly gives me serious sci-fi crime vibes.
This novel is also cool because it dives deep into every aspect of the sci-fi genre. Adcock utilizes footnotes to explain the deeper aspects of sci-fi machinery and government functions, I thought that was a genius way to make the novel easier to understand, and I’ve never seen it done before. Sometimes, when you read a heavy sci-fi novel you get lost in the content, but in Complete Darkness everything is broken down for you into digestible pieces.
I will say that this novel does start of a bit slow and confusing. Because it is different from anything I’ve read before it took a minute to adjust to flipping between the footnotes and the story. It is also confusing because it flips from perspective to perspective often, and it takes a minute to figure out who you’re following. Once you hit about page 50 it becomes a lot easier and the footnotes become lighter because you won’t need as much explained to you.
Also, this novel is really short. It’s short with a lot of information packed and a small amount of plot. This novel is definitely the set-up for the next in the series, which I don’t necessarily dislike, I just expected more to happen.
I’d like to add as my final comment that while this novel has its flaws, I’m excited to see what comes next. This is definitely the set- up for something much bigger and better.
I give Complete Darkness three out of five stars with a lot of anticipation for the next in the series.
A huge thank you to Matt Adcock for reaching out to me about his book. I had a good time reading it and I look forward to the continuation.
Old Dan and Little Ann from Where the Red Fern Grows are two of the greatest pets in literature. They fight off a cougar, and they help find grandpa when he gets lost. They’re so smart and they really help Billy, their owner, come of age. I’m counting them as one, because they’re two halves of the same whole.
Church from Pet Sematary may seem like an odd choice but I love him. He’s the creepiest pet ever, and he’s a total badass. He comes back to life and is a total terror, I’d be crazy too if my owner forced me to become a zombie cat. You’ll never be able to get the idea of his reflective eyes shining while he hisses, out of your imagination. He’s a total creep. If I were to ever have a nightmare about a cat, it would feature Church.
Ghost from A Song of Ice and Fire is frightening, loyal, and strong. He has a bond with Jon Snow stronger than any of the other dire wolves in the series. Ghost is an outcast just like Jon Snow, he was an off colored, red-eyed, runt left to die by his mother, but he is saved by Snow, another outcast. Ghost is fierce and he ends up being a huge asset in Jon Snow’s life by saving him, and being a fighting companion.
Hedwig is the greatest pet in Harry Potter. At times she is the only thing for Harry to talk to, and as long as Hedwig is around Harry will never be alone. She also has sass like none other, she’s not afraid to show Harry that she’s annoyed with him. Hedwig saves Harry and loves him, to me she is one of the greatest literary pets in history.
Winn-Dixie in Because of Winn-Dixie is my all time favorite literary pet. He is so cute, what kind of dog can smile? But most importantly he is there for Opal when she needs him the most. He embodies the perfect image of a dog. Dogs are my favorite animals and when I think of Winn-Dixie it makes me smile, and think of all the dogs I’ve had over my lifetime.
What are some of your favorite literary pets? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments.
So I’m super excited and overwhelmed to say that I’ve had a lot of awesome authors reach out to me via twitter and my email about reviewing their books. So I’ve put all my other projects on hold to read and review these books. Here’s the current list even though it seems it’s ever growing 😅
For centuries many have pondered the prospect of an afterlife and feared what came to be known as ‘hell’.
In the near future, we map the elusive ‘dark matter’ around us, only to find out that it is hell itself, and it is very real…
As the satanic President Razour attempts to bring forward Armageddon to prevent humanity repenting, the fate of us all rests in the hands of Cleric20, a hedonistic loner with a chequered past, and his robot sidekick, GiX.
(Description from Amazon)
At the age of twelve, Roxanne Fosch had a perfectly normal life. By the time she was twenty-two, she was being hunted.
After being trapped for years in the clutches of the Paranormal Scientists Society, Roxanne escapes and sets on a dangerous quest for the truth.
Hunted by scientists keen to exploit her extraordinary abilities, and dangerous factions whose plans she cannot fathom, Roxanne discovers a shocking secret about her past. But is everything she’s ever known a lie?
(Description from Amazon)
Marianna spent a lot of time doing her own thing on her own time, but when she turned 16, her parents gave her a surprise that would change the course of her life forever. Refusing to let her parents choose her destiny, she launched herself into the real world. Young, opinionated, naive, and strong-willed, Mariana makes friends, enemies, and quick decisions that set the stage for her life. One thing is certain. When Marianna chose to step out of her parents’ home, she stepped into her role as a woman; ready or not.
(Description from Goodreads)
March 26th, 2023 – Cullver City, Pa. A day that went down in infamy. A day where GEHM heroes and villains set aside their differences in order to save and protect their kind. General George McCaffrey marched into the city, backed by his own personal army and the Mankind Restoration Act in hand, he singled out the GEHM population. Concentration camps, inhumane experimentations, kidnappings, it was practically a citywide genocide. All for what exactly? To protect the human race from an ill-conceived delusion of a growing mutant threat. At the end of the day, McCaffrey and his Cerberus forces were pushed out of the city but at a cost. So much senseless violence that cost innocent lives, needless blood spilled on the street. Creating a new fear within the already untrusting GEHMs. Sixteen years later, twenty-three year old surly, explosive-tempered, sharp-tongued freelancer Alex Mercer takes contracts no matter the risk. She’s spent most of her life hunting and killing just to see the next sunrise. When a lucrative contract comes her way, she doesn’t think twice about accepting it. Set up with a team of several handpicked freelancers, she returns to the criminal paradise she once called home to hunt down the illusive Billion Dollar Man – Maximillian Roivas. However… there are a lot of unanswered questions about this job and they’ll have to wait to be found. Now it’s time to lock and load, kill or be killed. Bodies are dropping, bullets are screaming, warm blood is flowing, and Alex can’t contain her bloodlust any longer.
(Description from Amazon)
A feudalistic world, embedded for centuries within the continent of Mystos is falling apart. Peasant uprisings, political and religious scheming from the academia, and the highborn’s lust for power are the causes for this political downfall in Mystos. A DEATH AT DAWN is the first book of an epic fantasy series that follows various characters, each going through their own journey during a time of civil turmoil. In the middle of the chaos is the ruling family of the Mountain Realm, House Wayward; a racially mixed family, dealing with their own inner conflicts. However, when tragedy strikes House Wayward, instead of rallying together, the members split apart and strategize for their own advantage, even if that means taking each other down. This story gives the perspective of the people directly affected by these events. As some begin to experience adolescence, other older characters experience a taste of power, misery, deception, and insanity. Within the series, each character has to make decisions that not only affect their lives, but the lives around them, making many question if they are the true hero of this series. Book one sets up the journey that these characters will experience during the series.
(Description from Amazon)
Does magic exist? Charlie Watson thinks it does and he wants to tell you all about it. Before he was famous, Charlie Watson decided to write a book to share with the world everything he knew about magic. This is that book. You will discover why Charlie always wears a top hat, why his house is full of rabbits, how magic wands are made, how the universe began, and much, much more. Plus, for the first time, Charlie tells of the strange events that led him from England to the Arctic, to perform the extraordinary feat that made him famous, and he finally reveals whether that extraordinary feat was magic or whether it was just a trick.
(Description from Amazon)
Those are the irreversible words that tear Charlie’s world apart.
Struggling through everyday life in London, Charlie loses his job, his friends, and even more than he could ever imagine. The only thing that keeps him from spiraling into a pit of uncertainty is his inexplicable infatuation with the barmaid.
While Charlie fights tooth and nail just to survive, so does the world around him – humanity deteriorates quickly, with acts of crime and terror spiking worldwide. Police find themselves stretched, the government clueless, but Charlie’s eyes are open to the truth.
(Description from Amazon)
*****
This is what you can expect from me for the next couple weeks when it comes to reviews. I hope these interest you and I hope that they all turn out to be great books. Have you heard of or read any of these? Let me know in the comments!
“Run my little rose…run…for in thirty minutes I will find you and I will end you.”
Deviously Sincere is a chilling mystery about Tilda Wain, an FBI, agent looking for a terrifying new serial killer with striking similarities to Jack The Ripper. This new killer is on a mission to purify women of their sins and will stop at nothing until the whole world is pure. But, this new killer also has similarities to a killer from ten years ago called Hyde. How are they related? Is this new killer a copy cat, or something more sinister?
Deviously Sincere is a terrifying thrill ride from start to finish, and the pace never slows. Hallward does an excellent job of creating a fast-paced narrative with an interesting plot. I didn’t feel any lulls in the story and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The conversations between Tilda and serial killer, Hyde, give you just enough insight into this new killer without giving away the twist. There is an unknown camaraderie between killers that you can’t quite put your finger on, and it serves the novel well.
Also, this novel is disturbing. Just a small warning for those who may be easily turned off by blood or gruesome death, this novel is brutal. But, for a horror fan like myself it felt real, this is the kind of stuff that a ritualistic serial killer would do. I didn’t have to suspend any disbelief to envision these killers existing. It’s sad that this is something I don’t have a hard time believing but that’s the world we live in. I commend Hallward’s ability to stay within the realm of belief but also her ability to create something so frightening.
Hallward also captures the complete mystification shrouding murderers, you never know if the stranger standing next to you has killed someone. There is one quote in particular that got me,
“He had told her the truth and she practically laughed in his face. No one ever viewed him as a threat until it was too late.”
I could honestly see this conversation happening. If one of my friends told me they were a notorious serial killer I’d probably laugh it off like they were joking too. You never know what someone is capable of, and I think that is the scariest part of this story.
The ritualistic nature of the murders follow a complicated pattern that is ever-evolving and this book masterfully winds them together without creating a confusing plot. I can see what is being presented and the murderers motives remain relatively clear. I really enjoy when characters have clear desires, it gives them more depth. I will also state that Tilda’s motives and fears are also clear, and it makes her a believable and admirable character. Tilda is an excellent protagonist and the way she is written had me rooting for her from the beginning. She is strong and smart, but not unrealistically so.
I do wish that Tilda’s partner Nathan had been a little more fleshed out, but seeing as how this is the start to a series I won’t judge that too harshly. He created a good point of tension and doubt for Tilda, and it did add to the plot, so I don’t view his character as a loss or a point to bring the books rating down.
I can’t wait to see what else Hallward has in store for us, I expect the next installment will be as good as this one. Deviously Sincere earns a 5/5 stars. A huge thank you to Alayna Hallward for reaching out to me about this book, it was a joy to read.
Dear followers,
Today is a very important day for indigenous women. Today we remember Missing and Murdered indigenous women. Native women go missing in startlingly high numbers across North America. Today is the day to remember and honor the lives of those that are gone.
For more information visit this link.
Thank you and I hope I was able to help spread awareness on this sensitive subject.
So, if you’ve been on twitter you’ve probably seen that Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer will be released later this year.
This book is Edward’s perspective of the events of Twilight. I have a few questions. Is this just going to be the events of Twilight? Or will Meyer be rewriting the entire saga? Why now, after all of this time did she decide to publish Midnight Sun?
My issue with this book is that Meyer is essentially writing and selling the same book for the third dang time. We have the OG Twilight, the gender-swapped Life and Death, and now this one. Are fans really going to pay almost $30 for the same story retold from the least interesting characters perspective? I feel like Meyer is milking her fanbase, I’m totally down with her writing something in the Twilight universe, but not the same thing over and over again. That’s so boring.
Also, the cover.
Does it not have a striking resemblance to this cover?
I’ve never once seen pomegranates used on a book cover until Bright We Burn, but suddenly Midnight Sun is using the same concept, and for god knows what reason.
I’m not a fan of Meyer’s sales tactic. Give fans something original and thoughtful, not the same story over and over again.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
If you didn’t see my last post on the Into The Dark movie series check it out here.
Uncanny Annie is about a group of college friends who get together on Halloween to play board games a year after their friend Tony dies. They find a game titled Uncanny Annie and play what I would call the horror version of Jumanji.
This movie is more a modern horror movie, with the freaky little girl, gore, and terrifying jump scares. It totally takes on the role of 21st century terror. I thought it was a good take on the board game style narration, it had a fresh feeling that kept me on the edge of my seat.
The acting is really good in this movie. Each actor plays their part well and the girl they got to play Annie was amazing. She was really creepy and didn’t give me the feeling of a child actress. She did a good job of lurking in the background and using her facial expressions and eye movements to send shivers down my spine.
The only real issue with this was the pacing. Since these are short movies it didn’t have enough time for the plot to play out, and it felt rushed. With an extra 20 minutes this movie could have had a lot more depth. I also wasn’t very fond of the ending, it felt a little anti-climatic.
Overall, Uncanny Annie earns 4/5 stars.
Kimberly, a teen girl who has struggled with agoraphobia since her mother was murdered hasn’t left the house in a year. She quickly discovers that her dad is hiding a sinister secret on the eve of Thanksgiving, and begins to fear for her life.
Flesh & Blood does a fabulous job of illustrating how debilitating a phobia can be, the representation felt spot on. It also adds so much tension that you can feel it in the air. Kimberly has to get out of the house, but even if she gets the opportunity will she be able to make herself leave? This concept of horror was so new to me that it left me with a different understanding of fear, and what it means to be afraid.
It also tackles the issue of grief. Kimberly is going through a horrendous healing process, her mother was murdered and now she is left to pick up all the pieces, and the person she thought would always be there for her, her dad, is not what he seems.
This movie also builds tension and makes you question what you believe all through the movie. It’s like a vicious cycle of is he bad or is it paranoia? It’s not clear until the last 1/3 of the movie, and the suspense is phenomenal.
Flesh & Blood earns 5/5 stars.
All That We Destroy is about a geneticist who discovers that her son is becoming a serial killer, and she decides to create clones of the girl he murdered in hopes that it will help him satisfy his murderous craving.
This movie is more of a psychological thriller in the way that it bars most traditional horror movie antics. We stray away from typical gore and enter into a realm of very real terror. Spencer, the murdering son, is the way he is because of his parents, and you start to feel bad for him. He is a monster that could live next door and you wouldn’t even realize it.
This one is also very sad because you have Spencer’s internal struggle, his mother’s fear of losing him, and the clones fear of getting murdered. The movie is almost like a tragic comedy because no matter what happens someone is going to lose, there’s no possible happy ending. The murderer is easy to sympathize with.
I like that this movie was more like a thriller novel. It didn’t feel like a horror movie and the deviation from the norm was a nice change of pace. I give this one 5/5 stars.
*****
It was a good week for Into The Dark, with a total of 14/15 stars, come back next week to see what we watch next! Let me know what you think in the comments.
I just added a Pinterest account so if you’re interested in following me there too, click this link.
“My heartbeat rushes to my ears as I rip it open. This is no lottery ticket. It’s my mother’s Notice of Auction.”
Etta lives in the city of Craewick, where under the rule of tyrannical leader Madame, memories are stolen through touch and traded on the auction block. Etta lives with the guilt of an accident that left her mother in a coma and her friend dead, but when Madame threatens to put her mother on the auction block, Etta is forced to rejoin the Shadows. The Shadows are a group of Robin Hood esque thieves who steal memories from the rich for the poor, but since Etta gave up the location of their leader she hasn’t been in touch with them. Will Etta save her mother and rejoin the shadows? What other secrets lurk just below the surface?
I like Etta’s character, she is very flawed but she does her best to work through her setbacks. She is one of the “Gifted” and her biggest struggle is her gift. She tells the reader,
“Whenever I touched someone, I’d accidentally steal what most were trying hard to forget.”
This was the most interesting piece of the story. Those who were “Gifted” were not only able to steal happy memories to sell, but they could accidentally steal sad or terrifying memories. This is something that weighs heavy on Etta’s mind. I liked how the gift could be used for gain, but could also be a burden.
The overall tone of this story is very hopeful. Etta never loses hope, and although she can’t see herself as a hero, everyone else sees her as one. This book keeps that tone even in the darkest of plot points, it has a purpose and a message and it sticks to it. My favorite quote from the book is this,
“Remember, child, being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid of anything. Just that the fear doesn’t stop you from fighting for something you believe in.”
That is such a great quote, and I think I will keep it written down with all my other favorite quotes.
The villain created in this story reminds me of The Evil Queen from the show Once Upon a Time, she is power-hungry and nothing will stand in her way. She has an aura that bleeds black and exudes strength. I liked her as a villain although she didn’t feel entirely unique.
I do feel like this books pacing is way too fast. The love story unravels at an unrealistic speed and they bounce from location to location so quickly it’s like we’re in fast forward. This story could have easily been 100 pages longer with more in-depth character development and plot thickening. Unfortunately, some of the characters come off like cookie-cutter characters. They are only there to advance the plot and have no real contributions to the story. We don’t know anything about them and they just stand in the background.
My second complaint is that this story has a turning point where it seems like everything is going to flip on its head and have an extremely good plot twist, but then it just doesn’t. The author set up this magnificent, nothing is as it seems moment, but then cops out to keep the plot on the same straight-forward course. In my opinion, flipping the story on its head right there would have made a better book. Instead, we get a semi-predictable storyline and I’m left wondering what could have been.
This novel is relatively short, only took about three hours to read, and with the content it contains, it only earns a 3/5 stars. This novel could have been much more but in the end settled for the easy road.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this book, along with Blink publishing.
Click on each link to see full-length reviews of each novel.
The first book we explored this month was Station Eleven. This haunting but hopeful novel about a post-pandemic world won me over and earned 5/5 stars.
Zone One was a national best-selling zombie novel and unfortunately my biggest disappointment of the month. Zone One earned a 2/5 stars.
The Girl With All The Gifts easily earned itself 5/5 stars. The story is a sad exploration of what human beings will do to survive, when faced with a disease that turns humans rabid. Who will win? Humans or zombies?
This book garnered a 4/5 stars, but the author is also donating all proceeds to food pantries during the COVID-19 crisis. So not only is it a great Romeo & Juliet style romance based in Scotland, but it helps a great cause.
The Power is a frighteningly real story of corruption at every level of civilization. What would happen if the world as we know it flipped on its head, and women had the power to kill with a single touch? Alderman earned a 5/5 stars with this amazing piece of work.
From Men And Angels is a harrowing tale of a world divided by those who support angels vs. those who support demons. Malach must make his decision wisely before the war rages on around him. This story is a wonderful beginning to a trilogy, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. This one earned a respectable 4/5 stars.
My favorite book of April 2020 was The Girl With All The Gifts, it was such an exhilarating read, I struggled to set it down. I strongly recommend that anyone who likes zombie novels pick this up.
(From Book 1) Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends — one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena — Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
(Description from Amazon)
I debated for a while about whether Percy Jackson is YA or Middle Grade but on my opinion this series leans more to YA. I love this series, it will always have a special place in my heart. I haven’t read any of Riordan’s other works but this one won me over.
(From Book One)
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
(Description from Amazon)
I have not even finished this series and I’m completely in love with it. Celaena is a very unique and fun character to follow, she is up there with Katniss in my opinion of protagonists. She’s a bit snotty but it serves her well. She’s a total badass.
(From Book One)
What does it take to become the greatest secret agent the world has ever known? In this thrilling prequel to the adventure of James Bond, 007, readers meet a young boy whose inquisitive mind and determination set him on a path that will someday take him across the globe, in pursuit of the most dangerous criminals of all time. Thirteen year-old James Bond cannot wait to get away from Eton, his stuffy boarding school, and visit his aunt and uncle in the Highlands of Scotland. Upon arriving, he learns that a local boy, Alfie Kelly, has gone missing. James teams up with the boy’s cousin, Red, to investigate the disappearance. The clues lead them to the castle of Lord Hellebore, a madman with a thirst for power. Despite unknown dangers, James is determined to find the lost boy. But what he discovers in the dark basement of Hellebore’s estate will forever change his life.
(Description from Amazon)
I’ve talked about this series on my blog before and anytime I mention it people are like, what? Really? Yes! I love James Bond and something about the way Higson writes Bond is so captivating and humanizing for such an iconic and invincible character. I actually bought my first copy of this book at The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. I love it, it’s such a fun series.
The first novel in the worldwide bestselling series by Suzanne Collins!
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
(Description from Amazon)
I feel like anyone who loves dystopian YA novels or even YA in general has probably read The Hunger Games. This series took the world by storm, and by default my heart. I will always regard Katniss as one of the biggest badass females in literature. She’s brooding, beautiful, and strong. I looked up to her and she really made me want to learn how to shoot a bow 😅 Anyway, this series will go down as one of my faves.
(From Book One)
The House of Night series by bestselling authors P.C Cast and Kristin Cast is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire–that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampyre friends.
(Description from Amazon)
I fell in love with this series when I was around 12 years old. I grew up with Zoey and her nerd-herd, they will always fill me with joy. They have even restarted this series with a follow up series titled The Otherworld Series. I’ve read the first book and I own the second, what I’ve read was pretty good for a follow up. No matter what this group of fictional characters will be near and dear to me. The adventure is dark but filled with so much love. It will make you laugh, cry, and cringe. I’m also excited to say that they are attempting to turn it into a TV series! Fingers crossed that it’s good!
(I have intentionally left Harry Potter out because it is not entirely a YA series but starts as a children’s series. HP will always be my #1!)
What is your favorite YA series? Do you share any similarities to me? Let me know in the comments.
Sav’s Review 